

Iowa City vs Louisville
$44/mo less in Louisville
Iowa CityLouisvilleAbout 389 miles apart, close enough to drive.
- Louisville costs you more
- Rent under 30% of pay
Same paycheck, two cities. $2,474/mo in Louisville. $2,518/mo in Iowa City. −$528 a year.
Iowa City
$2,518
left each month
Louisville
$2,474
−$44 vs Iowa City
Compare
Same paycheck, another city.
Next
−$44 / mo
See full breakdown
| Per month | Iowa City | Louisville | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross pay | $6,542 | $7,312 | +$770 |
| Income and payroll tax | $1,443 | $1,912 | +$468 |
| Take-home pay | $5,099 | $5,400 | +$302 |
| Rent | $911 | $1,047 | +$136 |
| Getting around | $411 | $545 | +$134 |
| Groceries | $347 | $368 | +$21 |
| Healthcare | $391 | $414 | +$23 |
| Utilities | $217 | $230 | +$13 |
| Everything else | $304 | $322 | +$18 |
| Left over | $2,518 | $2,474 | −$44 |
Salary to match Iowa City
$88,500
Gross pay in Louisville that leaves the same amount as $78,500 in Iowa City.
Tax difference
−$2,881
A year, in state and local income tax. Effective rates: 22.1% in Iowa City, 26.1% in Louisville.
More about Louisville
Iowa City, IA in full
A flat 3.8% state income tax, a median 2-bedroom asking rent of $1,085 and 207 sunny days; commutes average 20 minutes.
Louisville, KY in full
Cheap, central, and warmer than the rest of the Midwest.
The other way
Start in Louisville.
Louisville → Iowa City →Questions
Is the cost of living lower in Louisville than Iowa City?
For one adult in a one-bedroom, Louisville leaves about $44 less a month. A one-bedroom is about $911 in Iowa City and $1,047 in Louisville.
Does Louisville have state income tax?
Louisville is in Kentucky, which taxes wage income, plus a local wage tax of 2.20%.
What changes if you move from Iowa City to Louisville?
The paycheck is taxed in Kentucky. Rent stays at the same bedroom count. What you keep is the difference.
Left over each month is take-home pay minus rent and the rest of the bills. The gap between Iowa City and Louisville changes with the job, remote or local pay, and bedrooms. How we figure this · Leftover vs a COL index · Why a cheaper COL% can still lose leftover.
Estimate, not a quote. How we figure this.